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Having read the preface to the course book that we shall be using [Introduction to Computer Security Matt Bishop] over the weekend I’d like to compare the goals of the book and the lecturer’s goals.

Matt Bishop’s Goals:
i). To intertwine theory and practice and to show how they both rely on each other.
ii). To show that computer security & cryptography are 2 different things.
iii). To demonstrate that computer security is both an “art” and a “science.”

Alan’s goals:
i). To enable the student to communicate knowledge of the concepts, models and terms commonly used in the area of ICT security.
ii) To enable the student to identify and productively experiment with
currently relevant ICT security issues.
iii) To enable the student to evaluate factors that influence the security of systems.

Quite an interesting listing of goals. They may seem totally different, but i’d like to say that they form a neat interplay. I won’t really describe in detail how they link to each other, but i would want to point out that the book outlays certain theoretical concepts [like the C.I.A. of computer security, models of how to implement security, developments in cryptography, authentication factors, etc]. These form the “little bag of facts” that we need to pick up in order to be able to attain Alan’s goals.

There is also a little the “reasoning” & “thought processing” factor which has to happen for Alan’s goals to be reached…